Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

County Walks across Carmarthenshire have benefitted from an upgrade thanks to the Rights of Way Improvement Plan Funding Programme from the Welsh Government. The programme is managed by Natural Resources Wales and implemented by Carmarthenshire County Council. Nearly 43km of 44 routes across the county, covering 23 town and community council areas have been improved, and 146 items of furniture installed, 97 per cent of which were new gates to help improve access to the countryside. County recreation and access manager Alan Warner said: “An example of the improvements carried out under ROWIP is in Brechfa, where 10 stiles have been replaced with self-closing pedestrian gates, new steps and signage installed to improve routes for local residents and visitors to the area. “This formed part of the larger programme of rights of way improvements on footpaths and bridleways around the county including works on the Ferryside, Cenarth and Llandysul County Walks as well as routes in Cwmifor,...

A multi-agency recovery coordination group including Carmarthenshire County Council, Natural Resources Wales, Public Health Wales and Valero, believes that the majority of the kerosene spilled due to pipeline damage at Nantycaws, Carmarthen, has now been recovered. An estimated 139,500 cubic metres of kerosene product has been recovered by the company employed by Valero to clear the contamination from land and waterways. The section of old damaged pipe, now replaced, has been sealed at both ends, and initial results from bore hole monitoring shows only low level residual contamination identified in and around the Nant Pibwr, which is being captured with temporary river booms. Heavy rainfall at the beginning of last week flushed through some remaining product, enabling further recovery. Additional measures were put in place to deal with ‘remobilised’ contamination entering the Nant Pibwr due to the intense rainfall. The recovery coordination group will continue to monitor, cleanse and...

An Aberystwyth University student has been dubbed as Snowdonia’s new ‘Rhodocop’. Gruffydd Jones from Pwllheli is on a mission to control the aggressive alien plant invader Rhododendron using soil science and deduction. According to Gruffydd, who has just started a PhD at Aberystwyth, it is difficult to control Rhododendron and consequently Wales’ biodiversity is under threat. Gruffydd will be working with Snowdonia National Park and Natural Resources Wales and is funded jointly by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Aberystwyth University. Rhododendron spreads rapidly, invading vast areas of land. It is estimate that the total area covered by Rhododendron in Snowdonia National Park is equivalent to around 5,000 football pitches. Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA), National Trust (NT) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have been very successful in controlling this species in North Wales using slash and burn plus application of herbicide to any regrowth. However this process is costly ...

Aberystwyth University’s Penglais Campus has become the first University campus in Wales to achieve the Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is a UK-wide partnership, delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy with support from Natural Resources Wales, and is the mark of a high quality park or green space. It is judged by green space experts who visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement. A record-breaking 110 parks and green spaces in Wales have met the high standard needed to receive the Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award this year. Director of Estates Development at Aberystwyth University, Mark Taylor said: “It is pleasing to see the hard work of everyone involved rewarded, in particular our Grounds Team, and the University estate recognised as a safe, green and enjoyable space for students, staff and visitors. We will seek to further enhance our grounds ...

A project is underway in Carmarthenshire to restore important wetland habitats. Carmarthenshire County Council has successfully secured funding from Natural Resources Wales’ Resilient Ecosystems Fund (REF) to focus on six commons in central Carmarthenshire. The area, near Brechfa, has been identified nationally as a priority area for the rare raised bog habitat in Wales. Wet bog habitats are one of the most important natural resources and provide us with fresh water by filtering out pollution. They act as sponges, reducing flood risk through the storage of rainwater, which is then slowly released into surrounding watercourses. They also help buffer the extremes associated with climate change by storing carbon within the peat. Carmarthenshire’s biodiversity officer, Isabel Macho said: “In Carmarthenshire wetlands habitats have been lost or damaged though draining and burning of the commons. Bogs act like big sponges storing water and carbon, helping with flood prevention and climate r...

Locals and holidaymakers can enjoy stunning views of the Teifi Valley with the opening of a new trail. More than 600m of rough path next to the Teifi River in Newcastle Emlyn is being transformed by the council thanks to a £65,800 grant from the Rights of Way Improvement Plan Funding Programme. The new all weather surfaced path will give greater accessibility for all. The beginning of the trail includes a walled entrance; there will be interpretation panels along the path and new seating so that walkers can enjoy the spectacular views of the Teifi Valley. New leaflets are being produced and the Castle Street Picnic area will also benefit with improved access and new benches. The scheme is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council and managed by Natural Resources Wales. County executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “We are delighted that we have been able to secure funding to carry out this project which will improve accessibility to the p...